The Effect of Resilience Education by the Teach-back Method on the Stress of Mothers of Educable Mentally Retarded Children: A Field Trial Study

Abstract

Background: The presence of a mentally retarded child is a stressful experience for the family, especially mothers. The present study aimed to determine the effect of resilience education by the teach-back method on the stress of mothers of educable mentally retarded children. Materials and Methods In this field trial study, 70 mothers of educable mentally retarded children were selected as the sample using convenience sampling method and then assigned to the intervention (n=35) and control groups (n=35) based on block random allocation. Each mother in the intervention group participated in 8 sessions of resilience education by the teach-back method (each session lasted 30-45 minutes) in a period of 30 days. The Parenting Stress Index of Abidin and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were filled out by mothers of the intervention (teach-back) and control groups in pretest and posttest. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 software. Results: The mean score of maternal stress before the intervention was 127.94 ± 22.35 in the intervention group, and 129.31±21.82 in the control group. These values after the intervention were 88.6±17.98 and 135.23±23.08 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. In addition, the mean score of resilience before the intervention was 29.17±11.95 in the intervention group, and 25.89±10.3 in the control group. These values after the intervention were obtained 58.94±9.43 and 22.2±8.17 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. There was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the mean score of stress and resilience one month after the completion of intervention (p­<0.05). Additionally, mothers in the intervention group, who received the teach-back method, had significantly less stress and more resiliency (p<0.05). Conclusion The study showed that resilience education through teach-back had a significant effect on reducing stress and increasing resiliency of mothers of educable mentally retarded children.